Sewing-machine attachment for stitching buttons to fabrics



(No Model.)

A. DE BEAUMONT.

SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT FOR STITGHING BUTTONS T0 FABRICS.

No. 328,298. Patented 001;. 1a, 1885.

N. PETERS Phuwmho n her, wumn m D. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO.

ALEXANDRE DE BEAUMONT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEWING-MACHINE ATTACHMENT FOR STITCHING BUTTONS TO FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.328,298, dated October13, 1885.

Application filed January 12, 1885. Serial No.152,643; (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDRE DE BEAU- MONT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain Improvements in Sewing- Machine Attachments for StitchingButtons to Fabrics, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of sewingmachines in whichabutton-clamp is operated by mechanism under control of the needlebar orarm of the sewing-machine, one of the objects of my improvement being toconstruct a simple attachment of this class, and further objects beingto adapt the attachment for sewing on shank-buttons, or buttons havingeither two or more eyes, and to permit ready adj ustment of the parts tosuit buttons having eyes at a greater or less distance apart.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved sewingmachine attachment; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of thesame; Fig. 3, a rear view of part of the device; Fig. 4, a front view ofpart of the same with the parts adjusted toa different position fromthat shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a diagram illustrating the operation ofthe machine, and Figs. 6 and 7 views showing modi-' fications.

A is the baseplate of the attachment, which is constructed for beingsecured to the workplate of a sewing-machine in any suitable manner.

A vertical standard, B, is secured to the base-plate, and from thisstandard projects a stud, a, on which is free to turn a combined ratchetand bevel wheel, D E, the bevel-wheel E gearing into a pinion, F, onashaft, b,which is adapted at the lower end to a bearingin thebaseplate, and at the upper end to a bearing in a bracket, (1, on thestandard B.

An arm, G, is secured to the standard B by means of a screw, f, adaptedto a slot, 9, in the arm, as shown in Fig. 3, and to this arm is hungalever, J, the short arm of which has a finger, i, or is otherwise soconstructed that it can be struck and moved by a projection on theneedle bar or arm of the sewing-machine as the latter rises, a spring,h, serving to restore the lever to its former position as the needle baror arm descends, so that on each reciprocation of the needle-barthere'will be hooked so as to act on the ratchet-wheel D on the upwardmovement of the lever-arm, and the pawl n being constructed to act onthe wheel on the downward movement of said arm.

The pawl n is acted upon by a spring, 1), which serves to keep it ingear with the teeth of the wheel D, but the pawl has a slot, 8, for thereception of a set-screw, s, so that said pawl can be thrown out ofgear, as shown in Fig. 4, and heldin this position when desired.

On the shaft bis an eccentric, t, which is adapted to an opening in alever, M, and to a slot, 1), in a lever, 12.

The lever M is pivoted to the base-plate by a screw, is, adapted to aslot, is, in the lever, and said lever is connected to the lever N by va rod, P, pivoted to said lever N by a pin, w, but having at theoppositeend apin, 10, which can be adapted to any one of a number of openings,to, in the lever M, the row of openings being concentric with the pin w,and the openings being at different distances from the eccentric t.

The lever N is pivoted to the base-plate by a screw, y, adapted to alongitudinal slot, y, in the lever, and to any one of a series ofopenings, if, in the base-plate, and on the outer end of said lever Nisthe button-clamp, which in the present instance consists of aspringplate, q, secured to the lever and adapted to bear upon the top ofthe button with pressure sufficient to retain the same in place, but notenough to interfere with the ready insertion and withdrawal of thebutton.

As the shaft b is turned a combined lateral and longitudinalreciprocation is imparted to the button-clamp, the lateral movementbeing due to the action of the eccentric on the lever N, and thelongitudinal movement to the action of the eccentric on the lever M,which movement is transmitted to the lever N through the medium of therod P. The extent of lateral movement of the lever N is governed byshifting the fulcrum-pin y of said lever from one hole 3 to another, soas to increase or diminish the distance between the same and theeccentric, and the extent of longitudinal movement is regulated byadjusting the pin w to an opening, 20 of the lever M nearer to orfarther from the eccentric, this adjustable connection having the sameeffect as an adjustable fulcrum-pin for the lever M; and, if desired, anadjustable fulcrum may be used instead of the adjustable connection. Bythis means the movement of the button can be increased or diminished inaccordance with the distance between the eyes of the button, so as toinsure the proper presentation of one of the eyes to the needle on eachdescent of the latter.

The device shown in the drawings is intended for use with" buttonshaving either two or four eyes, the gearing being such that on each upand down movement of the needle each pawl will effect a movement of theparts sufficient to cause a quarterturn of the shaft Z), the buttonconsequently having a fourfold movement for each rotation of said shaft.

When the pawl in only is in gear with the ratchet-wheel D, there will bea succession of quarter-turns of the shaft, and a like succession ofquarter movements of the button, so as to bring each of four eyes in thebutton in succession under the needle, but when both pawls are in gear,the shaft 1) will have two quarter-turns imparted to it, and the buttonwill have two quarter movements on each up and down movement of theneedle. This will be understood on reference to Fig. 5, which shows thefour positions of the button in respect to the needle when the shaft 12has a succession of quarter-turns imparted to it. Vhen the shaft has ahalf-turn, however, on each movement of the needle, the button will beshifted from the position 1 to the position 3. In other words, theneedle on its second descent will enter an eye opposite that which itentered on its first descent. Shank-buttons may be attached by thislatter movement, the

needle passing alternately through the shank and outside of the same.The construction of the clamp in this case should be modified to adaptit to a shank-button.

When the button has three eyes, the shaft 1) should have a third of aturn on each reciprocation of the needle.

WVhere adjustment for different sizes of eyes is not required, a singlelever under direct control of the eccentric may be used with goodeffect; but for general use the attachment with two levers is preferred,on account of the adaptability of the device for operating on difierentbuttons.

Various means may be employed for rotating the shaft 1) from thereciprocating needle bar or arm. In Fig. 6 I have shown one suchmodification, in which a bell-crank lever replaces the plain lever J,the two pawls being hung to this lever, and the joint being such thatone or other of the pawls can be readily thrown out of engagement withthe ratchetwheel D, which in this case is directly on the shaft b.

The shaft 7) may, if desired, be rotated continuously from some part ofthe machine, the eccentric in this case being replaced by a cam or camshaving the necessary dwell, so that there will be no movement of thebutton-c1amp while the needle is down. (See Fig. 7.)

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a lever having abutton-clamp, an adjustable fulcrum for said lever, a shaft having aneccentric or cam for acting on the lever, and means for rotating saidshaft, as specified.

2. The combination of a pair of levers crossing each other and connectedtogether, a button-clamp on one of said levers, a shaft having a cam oreccentric acting on both levers, and means for rotating said shaft, asset forth.

3. The combination of a pair of levers crossing each other and connectedtogether, a button-clamp carried by'one of said levers, adjustingdevices for regulating the throw of each lever, a shaft having a cam oreccentric for acting on both levers, and means for rotating said shaft,as set forth.

4. The combination of a lever having a button-clamp, a shaft above thebed plate having a cam or eccentric acting on said lever, aratchet-wheel on or geared to said shaft, and a lever, J, under controlof the needle bar or arm of the machine, and having a pawl adapted tosaid ratchet -wheel, as set forth.

5. The combination of the lever having a button-clamp, the shaft havinga cam or eccentric for operating said lever,the ratchetwheel, and thelever J, with its pawls, one ofwhich is adjustable, so as to be thrownout of action, as set forth. 7

6. The combination of the lever or levers forming the button-carrier,the shaft b, having a cam or eccentric, and bevel-wheel F, the wheel E,and ratchet-wheel D, and the lever J, with its two pawls, m and n, asset forth.

7. The combination of the lever or levers forming the buttoncarrier, theshaft 1), with cam or eccentric for operating said carrier, the lever J,means whereby the movement of said lever is transmitted to the shaft 1),and an adjustable fulcrum for said lever, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALEXANDRE DE BEAUMONT.

Witnesses HENRY Bossnnr, HARRY SMITH.

